ACC deal could force UC Bearcats to stay put

7:44 PM,
Apr. 22, 2013

UC athletic director Whit Babcock

Written by

University of Cincinnati fans would be wise to brace for a long stay in the newly-formed American Athletic Conference.

UC officials had been optimistic that another wave of conference realignment would result in the Bearcats joining former Big East members Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Notre Dame and Louisville in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the not-too-distant future. The most likely scenario was for one or more of the ACC schools to leave for the SEC or the Big 12, thus opening a trickle-down slot for the Bearcats.